Refrigerating apparatus



April 21, 1931.

G. MUFFLY REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 12, 1927 Patented Apr. 21, 1931 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GLENN MUFFLY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO COIELAND PRODUCTS, INC.-, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN BEFRIGERATING APPARATUS Application filed November 12, 1827. Serial No. 232,726.

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus of the mechanical compression type and relates particularly to an arrangement of parts thereof in relation to the refrigerating cabinet of which it forms a part, the principal object being the provision of a new and novel arrangement of parts for inducing a flow of air around the condenser.

Another object is to provide a refrigerating apparatus of the mechanical compression type in which the mechanism is positioned in the top or bottom of the refrigerating cabinet and in which the louvres in the front or the side walls of the cabinet are eliminated.

A further object is to provide a construction of the type described in which the rear face of the chamber in which the motor, compressor and condenser are positioned, is left open, the fan driven by the motor being positioned adjacent the rear face of the chamber with its axis parallel to the same and midway between the side walls of the chamber whereby to induce, upon rotation, a flow of air through the chamber, the condenser being positioned in the path of such flow of air.

The above being among the objects of the present invention the same consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawing, and then claimed, having the above and other objects in view.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates a suitable embodiment of the present invention,

Fig.1 is a front view of a refrigerator cab inet in which is arranged a refrigerating mechanism of the mechanical compression type concealed in the lower part thereof.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

By the use of the present inventionI provide a construction wherein the chamber in which ,the refrigerating apparatus is placed is open on the rear face of the same and closed on the other faces thereof, the fan bein so positioned .in respect to the open rear ace that air is drawn into the chamber and discharged therefrom through the open rear face, the condenser being so positioned in relation to the flow of air set up by the fan that such air passes around the condenser in order to cool it.

As illustrative of the present invention I show on the accompanying drawing a refrigerator cabinet having a front Wall 10 and side walls 11, a door 12 being provided in the front wall 10 for access to the food storage compartment as shown in Fig. 1. The door 12 is relatively widely spaced from the bottom of the cabinet in which the refrigerator apparatus is placed, although it will be understood that the chamber in which the refrigerator apparatus is placed may equally well be positioned above the food storage compartment, a horizontal wall such as 13vbeing provided within the cabinet to separate the food storage compartment from the refriger ating apparatus and thereby forming a chamber 14 within which the refrigerating apparatus is positioned. It will be noted that the front wall 10 and side walls 11 of the chamber 14 are entirely devoid of ventilating openings of any type whatsoever, thus providing a clear and unobstructed surface for these walls of the chamber 14. N 0 rear wall whatsoever is provided for the chamber 14, it being entirely open and being utilized for the entrance of air to the condenser coils and for the discharge of the air therefrom. Within the chamber 14 and removably secured to the bottom wall 15 thereof by screws 16 or other suitable means, is a base member 17.

At one of the rear corners of the base 17 an electric motor 18 is secured with its shaft parallel to the rear face of the cabinet. The motor 18 is provided with a pulley 19 and an air circulation fan 20. Secured to the base 17 in the diagonally opposite corner of base 17 from the motor 18 is a compressor 21 whose shaft 22 lies parallel to the shaft of the motor 18 and which shaft is provided with a.

pulley 23 aligned with the pulley 19 of the motor 18 and connected thereto for driving movement therefrom by the conventional belt 24. Secured to the corner of the base 17 immediately forwardly of the motor 18 is a receiver 25. A condenser 26 formed of tubing bent to the shape of a truncated cone with the coils freely separated from each other is supported in axial alignment with the motor 18 in the diagonally opposite corner of the chamber from the receiver 25, the enlarged end of the condenser being positioned immediately adjacent the face of the fan 20. One side of condenser 26 is'connected to the top of the compressor 21 and the other side of the condenser is connected to the top of the receiver 25. The gasified refrigerant from the cooling coils (not shown) in the food storage compartment is conducted through the pipe 27 to the compressor 21 where it is compressed and discharged into the condenser 26 where the compressed gas is cooled and liquefied, and then discharged into the receiver 25 from which it passes out through the pipe 28 and again into the cooling coils. It will be noted that the fan 20, by the arrangement of parts previously described, is positioned substantially midway between the side members 11 with its axis parallel to the rear wall of the cabinet and as close thereto as is conveniently possible. Because of this it will be apparent that when the apparatus is functioning the rotation of the motor 18 causes the fan 20 to suck in air through the open rear face of the chamber 14 and this air is forced around the condensing coils 26 and out through the rear face of the chamber 14, thus causing constant circulation of air into and out of chamber l-l for the )urpose of cooling the condenser coils. It will e apparent that battles may be provided within the chamber 14, if desired, to insure the air being drawn into the fan 20 from outside of the chamber 14 and thus prevent any tendency of only the air with the chamber 14 itself from circulation and thus diminish the amount of fresh air being drawn through the open rear face. Such a battle for instance may be positioned between the condenser coils and the compressor, thus insuring all the air passing through the condenser coils being discharged from the chamber 14 and preventing a recirculation of the same within the chamber 14.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that whether the refrigerating apparatus is positioned in the lower part of the refrigerator cabinet as shown in the drawing, or in the upper part of the cabinet, makes no particular difference, and this and other formal changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention described without departing from the spirit or substance of the broad invention the scope of which is commensurate with the appended claims.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. In combination, a refrigerator cabinet, a chamber formed therein having impcrforate front and side walls and an open back, a fan positioned within said chamber adjacent said open back with its axis parallel to the rear face of said cabinet, and an unbaflled condenser having a proiected area approxi mately equal to that of said fan, mounted within said chamber in a position to receive the flow of air caused by rotation of said fan.

2. In combination, a refrigerator cabinet provided with imperforate front and side walls, a chamber formed therein having an open rear face, a motor positioned in said chamber adjacent said open rear face and one of the side walls of said chamber, an unbaitled condenser positioned in said chamber adjacent said open rear face and the other of the side walls thereof, and a fan driven by said motor positioned between said motor and said condenser, said condenser having a projected area approximating that of said fan and being approximately aligned with said fan.

3. In combination, a refrigerator cabinet, a chamber formed therein having imperforate front and side walls and a fully open back face, a motor mounted in one corner of said chamber adjacent said open rear face, a compressor mounted in the diagonally opposite corner of said chamber, an unbailled condens er mounted in the remaining corner of said chamber adjacent said rear face and a recciver mounted in the diagonally opposite corner of said chamber, said compressor, condenser and receiver being opcratively connected together, a driving connection between said motor and said compressor, and a fan driven by said motor between said motor and said condenser, said fan when rotating drawing air into said chamber through said rear face and forcing said air around said condenser and out of said rear face.

4. In combination, a refrigerator cabinet having a chamber formed therein provided with imperforate front and side walls and a substantially fully open back face, a motor mounted in one corner of said chamber adjacent said open rear face, an unbafiled condenser mounted in said chamber adjacent said open rear .face and on the opposite side of said chamber from said motor, a compressor and a receiver in said chamber operatively connected to said condenser, a driving connection between said motor and said compressor, and a fan between said motor and condenser driven by said motor, said fan when rotating drawing air into said chamber through said open rear face and forcing said air through said condenser and then out of said chamber through open rear face.

GLENN MUFF LY. 

